Career Fair Survival Guide

Though a career fair is an excellent opportunity to explore different employment prospects, the sheer number of recruiters and competing job seekers attending the event can make it hard for you to get noticed. Also note that you should set reasonable expectations for yourself when attending a career fair; no employer is going to make you an offer on the spot, so your goal is simply to forge an initial connection with a wide variety of companies.

Follow these six tips in our career fair survival guide to make a lasting impression on recruiters and network your way to the top of the applicant lists.

Do your research

A key point in any career fair survival guide is the importance of research. Before attending the fair, find out what companies will be represented and make a list of your favorite prospects. You should also take a look at the employers’ respective websites to familiarize yourself with their achievements and the way they do business. Similarly, some recruiters like to find out about their potential candidates in advance. If the career fair you plan on attending allows you to pre-register and send in a resume, you should do so at your earliest convenience.

Organize your day

If you’ve followed the previous step in our career fair survival guide, you should have a list of employers from which to build your schedule. The first hour is always the slowest, so come as early as possible, and visit your top choices first. If you’re unsure of your approach, you can brush up your networking skills with one or two low-priority companies beforehand. Also reserve at least one hour at the end of the day to revisit your favorite prospects. They’ll have met a lot of candidates during the fair, and you want to make sure they remember you.

Come equipped

First and foremost, make sure you dress professionally. No employer has ever turned down a candidate for wearing a suit. Our career fair survival guide also advises that you create several versions of your resume, tailoring them to companies with different goals and criteria. Bring at least 10 copies of every version as well as a detailed portfolio. Recruiters may ask you to provide samples of your work, and you want to have everything you need to impress them at your disposal. Finally, ensure that you carry all your documents in a solid briefcase. Nothing says “forgettable” like a scrunched-up resume.